Territory



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 1.

W. F. WAMSLEY & T. MCINTOSH. ELECTRICAL CONTACT DEVICEECE EosE CCUPLEES.

IJV VEWTOR 5 (No Model.)

` v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 4 W. E. WAMSLEY 8v T. MGINTOSH. ELECTRICAL CONTACTDEVICE vEUR HOSE COUPLERS.

Patented June 7, 1887.

N. PETERS. Pilota-Lithuglphsr. Wnxhngton. Dy C.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A,

WILLIAM FREDERICK wAMsLEY AND THOMAS MCINT'OsI-I, OE wALLA wALLA,WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

LECTRICAL CONTACT DEVICE FOR HOSE-COUPLERS.

Ealt".CIFI-CATIONl forming part of Letters Patent N0. 364,558, datedJune 7, 1887.

Application filed November Q, 1886. Serial No. 217,796. (No model.) i

Be itY known that we, WILLIAM FREDE- RICK WAMsLEY and THOMAS MoINTosII,citizens of the United States, residing at lValla Walla, in the countyof Walla Walla. and Territory of Washington, have iuventedeertain newand useful Improvements in Electrical` Contact Devices forHose-Couplers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

' Our invention relates to certain novel iinprovements in thevconstruction and application of electrical conductors used for lightingand signaling which are applied to the airbrake pipes used onrailway-cars, said conductors being so constructed that electricalconnections will be established or broken by the act of coupling oruncoupling the pipeconnections, as will be fully understood from thefollowing description when taken iu connection with the annexeddrawings.

Before describing our invention and iinprovements, we will state that weare aware that it is not broadly new to utilize the airbrake pipes usedon railway-trains and their couplers as a means forbea'ring electricalconnections which are used for lighting and signal- Ing.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough two airbrake pipe-couplers,- showing our improvements appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a top or face view of one of the couplers usedbetween cars. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. 3 represents across-section of Athe couplers by which the interior dispositiono'f thecontact devices is more clearly represented. Fig. 4 is a top viewshowing the two segments of a contact-ring detached from its coupler.Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the electrical points of a pair ofcouplers in contact. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a dog used at eachend of every car. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section showing thedog applied to a coupler and completing the circuit through it.

Referringto the annexed drawings by letters, A A designate couplings foriiexible pipes or hose B B-such as the ordinary Westinghouse them.

air-brake hose-cou'plingadapted for conducting compressed air by whichrailway-car brakes are operated. rlhe couplings Aare all alike inconstruction, for which reasona description of one coupling will applyto all of O designates the tubular shank of a coupling, which is adaptedtoreceive and have secured to it air tight a flexible hose, B. Thistubular shank C has formed on one endahollow shell, D, the circularopening in which -has an internally-screw-threaded flange or shell D fortwo metallic contact-points, F F. These contact-points, which arepreferably of brass or copper, are constructed wit-h internal offsets,ce, which, when the contacts are xed in proper position in the shell,are diametrically opposite each other.

Surrounding the contact-points F F is au insulating-ring, g, havingteatsg g formed on it,

which lie between the separated ends of said also affords an insulatedseat inside ofthe contact-points and insulate them from each y other atthese points. If desired, the insulated ring g may form an integral partof the insulator gasket-ring c. It will thus beseen that both of thecontact-points F F are electrically insulated from the coupling A, andalso that each point is electrically insulated from the other.

On'the backs of these points, or on those flat surfaces opposite theoffsets ee,we apply a ring or washer, h, which may be of leather, hardrubber, or other suitable substance, and when the cap E is forciblyscrewed home the prongs f onthis cap will bear on the ring hand pressthe contact-points and gasket irnily into their seat and forni anair-tight joint.

The electrical conducting-wires G G, representing the negative andpositive poles of an IOO electric battery, are electrically connected tothe respective offsets c c of the insulated contact-points F F bypassing the ends of these wires through holes made through'the saidoffsets, as shown in the drawings.

On the end of the shell D is formed a segmental lug, H, having a rib, i,on one side, which, in the act of coupling two of the shells, engageswitha segmental lug, H', formed on the shell and provided with a lug, t.rlhese lugs are concentric to the vertical aXis of the shell, so that acoupling is effected by applying two shells together with their faces injux taposition and moving them about said axis until the ends of thelugs contact with vertical stops, Z: it, in which position the annularprotruding rims c c' of the two gaskets c c will bel compressed to forma hermetically-tight joint, andthe negative and positive offsets c c ofthe electrical contacts F F of both shells may register with each other.Now, it will be seen by reference to Fig. 5 that we employ twononcondueting buttons, J J, having rounded ends between the said offsetsc c, which arc respect ively secured to an opposing electrical point,and each button armed with a spring-needle or point, Z, extending to theopposite offsetthat is to say, each needle Z is secured to one offset cand extends to the opposite offset c of its shell or coupling. Then thecouplers are detached and pressure removed from the buttons, the springsZ will complete the circuit, when the shells are uneoupled or divided.Vhen the shells are coupled, the circuit is com' pleted between ears bythe contact of -the offsets c c of each coupling. lllhe circuit iscompleted at the rear end of the last car of a train by means of the dogK, (shown in Figs. 6 and 7,) which consists of a perforated shank, m,having a fiat horizontal plate, m', provided with a metallicbutton-shaped circuit-closer, n, acouplinghook, p, and a stop-lug, r.The dog K is applied to a coupling by adjusting the dog at right anglesthereto, the plate m and its contact-plate being held over the offsets cc and flange c. The dog is then forcibly brought around into line withthe coupling until the lug r strikes the side of the saine. The hook pengages with the flange of the screw-cap and the circuit-closer ucontacts with the two offsets c The dog may be suit ably insulated fromthe car, or the circuitcloser a insulated from the dog.

If desirable, buttons above described may be substituted for the dog forclosing the eircuit at the rear end of a train. The conducting-wiresmaybe disposed of through the tube in any preferred ordinary manner.

Having described our invention,we claim l. In air-brake hose-couplers,the combination of the segmental contact-points, their offsets andwire-connections, the ring surrounding said points and insulating themfrom-each other at the ends, and circuit-closers,which automaticallycomplete the circuit when two couplers are disconnected, as described.

2. In air-brake hose-couplers, the combination of the segmentalcontact-points,the insulator-ring surrounding said points and insulatingthem from each other at the ends, the packing insulator-ring c, formedas described, the washer or ring 7L, and the removable screw -cap havingprongs for bearing against this washer, substantially as set forth andshown.

3. In air-brake hosc-couplers, the combinav tion of the insulatedsegmental eontactpoints, a packing, and spring-actuated eircuitelosersattached opposite] y to said points, substantially as described.

4. In air-brake hose-eouplers, the combination of the segmental pointsFF, having contact-offsets to which the electrical wires are connected,the non-conducting ring surrounding said points and insulating them fromeach other, and the springs secured to the offsets of the points havingnon-conducting buttons and automatically completing the circuit when twocouplers are disconnected, substantially as described.

5. IThe combination, with an air-brake hosecoupler constructed asdescribed, and having internal flange, b, of the packing ri ng orgasketc, seated on such fiange, and having rim c', the segmental points F F,having contact-offsets, the insulator-ring g, surrounding said pointsand provided with teats y', which separate their ends, and wiresattached to the contactoffsets, adapted for connection with an electricgenerator, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with an air-brake hosecoupler, A, provided withthcsegmental points F F, having contact-offsets and a packing, and aring surrounding said points and insulating them from each ether, of thedog K, constructed with the couplinghook and stop, and provided with acircuit-closing plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM Fllllllllliltl( WAMSLEY. THOMAS '.llclN'lOSll.

Witnesses:

` GEORGE THOMAS THoMIsoN, AUGUs'rUs L. Lovmvztnu.

ICO

